page_title: Basankusu
section_title: Basenji dogs
hierarchical_section_title: Basankusu / Basenji dogs
caption_attribution_description: English: Basenji in Basankusu
context_page_description: Basankusu is a town in Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the main town and administrative centre of the Basankusu Territory. In 2004, it had an estimated population of 23,764. It has a gravel airstrip, covered and open markets, a hospital, and three cellphone networks, the first of which was installed in 2006. The town is also known as a centre for bonobo conservation efforts. Despite such developments, most inhabitants live at a subsistence level: hunting, fishing, keeping chickens and keeping a vegetable plot. In 2010, the workers at the local palm plantation would earn an average monthly salary of $40, most others would have much less.
  The location of the town on the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo, at the confluence of the Lopori and Maringa Rivers has contributed to its success as a centre for trade in the region. Set deep in tropical rainforest, the rivers serve as the highways for transport of people as well as goods.
context_section_description: The Basenji is a breed of hunting dog that is often seen in Basankusu. They are small, elegant-looking, short-haired dogs with erect ears, a tightly curled tail, and a graceful neck. Considering that the name can be considered pejorative, it is worth knowing that they are also known as "bush dogs" or "Congo dogs". They produce unusual howls, yodels, and other undulated vocalisations, in contrast to the characteristic bark of modern dog breeds. The sounds are sometimes called a barroo and are due to the unusually shaped larynx of the dogs. This trait also gives the Basenji the nickname "barkless dog".
  It is possible that the quietness of the Basenji is the result of the selective killing of dogs that bark, because barking could lead enemies to humans' forest encampments. Over centuries, its structure and type have been fixed by adaptation to its habitat, as well as use  – primarily net hunting in extremely dense old-growth forest vegetation.
  Although these hunting dogs are often mixed with European breeds in Basankusu, pure Basenjis can be found in villages further upriver. In 2010, Basankusu served as a base for an expedition to collect breeding stock for the American market.
caption: Basenji in Basankusu.
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